“Paul could have walked around Athens as a tourist, as we would probably have done, in order to see the sights of the town, to “do” Athens. The Acropolis, elevated enough to be seen from miles around, has been described as ‘one vast composition of architecture and sculpture dedicated to national glory and to the worship of the gods.’ Or Paul could have lingered in the Agora with its many porticoes painted by famous artists, listening to the debates of contemporary statesmen and philosophers. Paul was no uncultured fool. He might have been spellbound by the sheer splendor of the city’s architecture, art, history, and wisdom and yet it was none of these things that struck him. First and foremost, he saw neither the beauty nor the brilliance of the city, but rather its foolish idolatry.
Everywhere you looked there were images of Apollo, the city’s patron, of Jupiter, Venus, Mercury, Bacchus, Neptune, Diana, and Demeter. The whole massive Greek and Roman pantheon was there, all the gods of Olympus. And they were beautiful. They were made not only of stone and brass, but of gold, silver, ivory and marble…elegantly fashioned by the finest Greek sculptors. Paul was not blind to their beauty. But beauty did not impress him if it did not honor God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Instead, he was oppressed by the idolatrous use to which the god-given artistic creativity of the Athenians was being put. This is what Paul saw: a city submerged and drowning in its idolatry.”

-- Dr. John Stott

5 Keys…

1. GOD is the Uncontained Creator of the Universe
2. GOD is the Relentless Sustainer of Life
3. GOD is the Sovereign Ruler of All the Nations
4. GOD is the Generating Father of all Human Beings
5. GOD is the Patient & Final Judge of the World

Take-Aways

1. Face the Truth Honestly
2. Embrace the Truth Willingly
3. Demonstrate Truth & Grace